


Half Timing, Half Luck

by fangirl_squee



Category: The Thrilling Adventure Hour
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:42:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29103498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirl_squee/pseuds/fangirl_squee
Summary: Bobo Brubaker has the perfect plan to get back his girl, but fate has a way of intervening in things that are Meant To Be.
Relationships: Bobo Brubaker/Sadie Doyle, Frank Doyle/Sadie Doyle
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	Half Timing, Half Luck

Bobo’s life had been going right on track. Well, maybe not on  _ track _ , but it had been on a  _ path _ , man, he’d had  _ it _ : the girl, the scheme, the way into high society, the high society money just waiting to come his way… and then Frank Doyle had to barge in and mess it all up. Now he had no girl, no scheme, and no high society money coming his way.

Well. Maybe not  _ no _ scheme. He was working on a little something right now. Something that involved a magical someone, with the power to grant very particular wishes.

“Like a genie,” said Bobo.

The ethereal figure in front of him did a motion akin to pinching the bridge of their nose. “No,  _ not  _ like a genie, jeez, like they were the first group to think of doing things in threes? You think they’ve cornered the ‘things in threes’ market?” 

Bobo peered down at the brass object in his hand. It looked a little like an egg timer, but all the numbers were in a different language and it made a faint humming sound when he touched it. “Well why not more than three times?”

“Because after that it gets very annoying for me to do, and  _ very _ problematic for your fragile human mind,” said the creature, “Look, are you in or out, because I had other plans on other planes today.”

“In,” said Bobo. The high society life was back in his grasp. “In for sure, man.”

“Right,” said the figure, “So, the rules. Each trip’s one way - you send yourself back to ancient Egypt, you have to use another trip to get back to the here and now, assuming the here and now is where you want to finish up.”

“Always do,” said Bobo.

“Next, you’ve got to  _ focus _ to get there,” said the creature, “it’s not taking you to a specific date if you can’t remember it, and for the love of the gods please think of an actual  _ place _ when you do it.”

“What happens if I don’t?”

The light inside the creature pulsed. “Then the magic will find its own place for you to go. Which brings me to the last thing - this is  _ three times only _ .”

_ Totally like a genie _ , thought Bobo.

“If you try to use it a fourth time, it’s going to just reverse anything you did,” said the creature, “among… other things.”

“Wait,” said Bobo, “so it’ll work if I use it a fourth time?”

The creature pulsed again. “No, it’ll do something else.”

“But it’ll do  _ something, _ ” said Bobo.

“Yes, but-” The creature pulsed, brighter this time, “You know what? Yeah, it’ll do something, absolutely. Ready?”

Bobo looked down at the brass object in his hands again. “Ab-so- _ lutely _ .”

“Well, go ahead then,” said the creature, “good luck with whatever it is you’re changing.”

Bobo took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and tried to picture a time before Frank Doyle had barged into his life. He’d been waiting for Sadie in the lobby of her fancy apartment building, just before it was about to get dark enough for them to head to the seance and-

There was a rushing feeling, as though he were falling, and when Bobo opened his eyes he found he was standing in the hallway of Sadie’s old apartment building, Sadie’s door right in front of him. Before he could knock, the door was flung open and Sadie bumped right into him.

“Oh, Bobo darling, I’m so sorry! I was just going to see if you were downstairs,” said Sadie, “We’re going to be late!”

“Late for what babe?”

Sadie gave him an odd look. “Why the seance of course! Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten your big event! It’s all everyone’s been talking this week!”

“Right,” said Bobo, trying to think of something to throw Sadie off track, “the seance.”

Apparently when Bobo had asked to go back to before Frank and Sadie met, he’d been sent back to  _ directly  _ before their meeting. So all he had to do was stop Sadie from going to tonight’s seance and bam! No Frank Doyle.

“About the seance, Sade,” said Bobo, “I think I’m going to have to take a raincheck on it.”

“Oh, no! Whatever for darling?”

“Because, uh, because, I’m … not feeling well! Yeah,” Bobo coughed twice in what he hoped was a convincing manner, “yeah, I know it’s totally bogus of me to cancel it but like, the spirits won’t respond if I’m not in like, top condition, you know?”

“Oh that’s  _ completely _ understandable darling,” said Sadie, “you come in and lie down, and I’ll phone the others and let them know that they’ll have to postpone their meeting with the other side.”

“Thanks babe.”

He headed into Sadie’s richly-furnished apartment, heading for the plush couch. This was going to be so easy. Right back on the path, no sweat.

Sadie poured him a drink, a faint smile on her lips. “You relax here darling, I’ll let the others know that you’ll be absent from the evening’s proceedings.”

She disappeared into her bedroom, the sound of her softly speaking into the phone drifting out into the lounge. Bobo didn’t focus too much on the words, letting the sound of Sadie’s voice soothe him. He relaxed back on the couch, stretching his arms over his head. He was back on the path and heading right back to where he belonged.

If Sadie was taking rather longer on the telephone than she normally did, well, he was far too relaxed to notice. She always did have a lot to say to people. He let his eyes drift closed.

The next time he opened his eyes, the room was dark. His arms, which he’d stretched behind himself as he’d relaxed had an uncomfortable pins and needles feeling to them. Almost as troubling was the fact that Sadie was nowhere to be seen.

As he lifted his glass to take a steadying drink, he spotted a note.

_ Darling Bobo, _

_ I didn’t want to wake you - I’m sure as you’re feeling under the weather you need your rest! The others decided to carry on with the seance sans-you, and so I thought I would attend as well. You know I’ve always had quite the interest in the subject of the supernatural, after all. _

_ Love, Sadie. _

He scrubbed a hand over his face, scrambling to his feet. He had to get to the seance, and  _ fast _ . Lucky he was such a good driver.

Unluckily, it looked like Sadie had taken his car to the seance.

The cab moved slowly through the city traffic.

“Can’t this piece of junk move faster?” said Bobo.

“Fraid not sir,” said the cab driver, not seeming sorry that he was ruining Bobo’s second chance.

When he arrived at the hotel where the seance was to take place, it already looked like it was in full swing. The lights of the hotel flashed, the sounds of furniture breaking echoing into the night, along with the distinctive tones of Carter’s yelps. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all. All he had to do was go in, save the day, and Sadie would think he was some supernatural big shot. There, still totally on the path.

“I’ll save you Sadie!” yelled Bobo, charging towards the door.

The scene inside was not as he expected. Instead of a supernatural whirlwind, the creatures were already locked inside a neatly-drawn sigil. Instead of Sadie delighting at his rescue, she was being handed a drink by a barely-ruffled Frank Doyle.

“You!” said Bobo.

“Me?” said Frank, leaning back on the broken liquor cabinet. “Well, I suppose I am. Bobo, isn’t it?”

“It is,” said Sadie, “I thought you said you weren’t feeling well darling?”

“I- got better,” said Bobo, “Or, wait, no, the, uh, my supernatural senses felt a disturbance from the seance, so I like, had to come right over, to protect you.”

Frank snorted. To Bobo’s horror, Sadie smiled, taking a drink before she answered.

“Well as you can see I’m perfectly all right,” said Sadie, “Thanks to the intervention of Mr Doyle, here.”

She touched Frank lightly on his arm. Frank’s cheeks turned faintly pink.

“As it was you that did the majority of the heavy lifting, ghost-wise, there are no thanks needed Miss Parker,” said Frank, “And, please, call me Frank.”

“Well in that case Frank I think you had best call  _ me _ Sadie.”

Bobo cleared his throat, but it was of little use. Sadie didn’t so much glance away from Frank’s face. Bobo glared at Frank, but that, too, was of no avail. He felt for the little brass object in his pocket.

This was fine. This was totally cool. He still had at least two more tries to get the path back where it should be. He turned the timer, squeezing his eyes shut and thinking very hard about arriving  _ earlier _ this time.

“Do you want a drink before we begin?”

Bobo opened his eyes. He was standing in the seance room in its undestroyed state, the table set up and ready for the seance to begin. Carter Cauldwell held a drink out towards him, his smile beginning to turn down a little at the edges as Bobo stared at him.

“Uh, thanks man,” said Bobo.

“Think nothing of it!” said Carter, “Consider my service as thanks for your tremendous work here today. Why, do you know this is my very first seance?”

“That’s cool man, first time for everything,” said Bobo.

This was fine. All he’d have to do is  _ not _ call forth any ghosts. No ghosts, no scares, no Frank. Easy as… well. Easy as faking the supernatural had ever been.

The moment Sadie’s fingers touched the ouija board, all hell broke loose, and then there was Frank, saving the day, pulling Sadie’s eyes towards him, handing her a drink after, thanking her and making her laugh at something that he couldn’t hear from where he was hiding behind the remains of one of the couches.

He took the little brass timer out of his pocket. He’d just keep doing it until he got it right. That glowing creature had said it would keep working after three, so he could do it as many times as he needed to. He should try to make the third one count though, since after three they’d said it… Bobo frowned. Something. They’d said after three it would do something else. He shrugged.

Everyone knew third time was the charm, so this  _ had _ to work.

At first, that seemed to be holding true. He thought himself to the week before the seance and pitched Sadie on taking a weekend away instead. She didn’t seem as enthusiastic about that idea as she had about the seance, but when he said she could pick the place she perked up a little.

She chose the hotel that the seance would have been held at.

That was totally fine, Bobo told himself, Sadie liked New York too much to want to leave it for long, so of course she picked a hotel within driving distance. So long as nothing spooky happened, there would be no reason for Frank to go to such a fancy place.

Sadie sat up in bed the first night there were there, the movement waking Bobo.

“Wh’isit babe?”

Sadie put a hand on his arm. “Nothing darling, I’m just going downstairs to get a drink.”

“What’s wrong with the liquor cabinet?”

“It’s empty I’m afraid,” said Sadie, slipping a long, silken dressing gown over her night dress. “I won’t wake you too much by getting room service, and I certainly don’t mind the short walk to the bar.”

“‘Kay,” said Bobo, letting his eyes fall closed again into sleep.

Sadie was still gone when he woke up. Bobo frowned, splashing water on his face and smoothing back his hair. She’d probably just gotten caught up talking to people. She could be real social like that.

When he got downstairs, he saw that was indeed the case, which would have been perfectly fine if the person she was being social with wasn’t Frank Doyle.

“What are you even  _ doing _ here man?” said Bobo.

“ _ Bobo _ -” said Sadie.

“No, it’s perfectly all right Sadie,” said Frank, “After all, what’s a man like me doing in a place like this?”

“Getting a well-deserved drink,” said Sadie firmly, “And if the place doesn’t suit then we will simply have to find a place more deserving.”

“That’s very kind of you,” said Frank, “But I’m sure as long as you’re here they won’t throw me out.”

“They had better not,” said Sadie, “I would so hate to have to tell people that this hotel’s service was  _ subpar _ .”

The bartender slid them another round, giving Bobo a curious look.

“Oh,” said Sadie, “Bobo, would you like something?”

“It’s 5am babe,” said Bobo.

Sadie blinked. “It is? Oh, Frank, I’ve kept you for hours, I do apologise.”

“No need to apologise Sadie,” said Frank, “I’d let you keep me for as long as you’d like.”

Sadie smiled, setting her drink down to put her hand over Frank’s where it was resting on the bar.

“Uh, babe?” said Bobo.

“I’ll be back up soon Bobo,” said Sadie. “Or perhaps I could meet you later?”

“We’re staying here  _ together _ ,” said Bobo.

“Only temporarily,” said Sadie, “Bookings can be changed.”

Frank smiled at Sadie, tangling their fingers together, and her own expression brighted into pure delight.

“Forget it man, I’ll just try another do-over,” said Bobo, getting out the small brass object.

Bobo closed his eyes, readying thoughts of  _ before _ as he turned the timer.

Frank frowned, glancing at it. “Say, isn’t that a-”

“ _ BOBO BRUBAKER _ .”

Bobo’s eyes snapped open. He was still in the hotel, the world around him frozen, Frank frowning in his direction and Sadie half-turned towards him.

“What’s going on man?”

“ _ BOBO BRUBAKER, YOU ARE DISTURBING THE FLOW OF TIME _ .”

There was a glowing light in front of Bobo, growing bigger and brighter by the second, and in the middle of the light, a tall dark figure moved towards him. It hurt Bobo’s eyes to look at it.

“But you said I could use it!”

“ _ THE USE IS FOR THREE TURNS ONLY _ ,” said the figure, “ _ AFTER THAT, SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS. _ ”

The figure reached out, putting a cold hand on Bobo’s shoulder.

“ _ I AM SOMETHING ELSE. _ ”

  
  
  
  


\----

  
  
  
  


In the penthouse apartment of Frank and Sadie Doyle, Frank’s hand hesitated for a moment over the row of gin bottles. He frowned.

“Sadie love,” said Frank, “I’ve just had the most curious feeling.”

“Was it a sort of floaty-electrical sort of feeling?” said Sadie, from where she was reclined on the lounge.

“You felt it too?”

“Yes, but it was only for a moment,” said Sadie, “and as there has been no follow up I can only assume that whatever it was has passed.”

“I suppose you’re right,” said Frank, refilling their glasses, “what do you suppose it was?”

“Sobriety?” said Sadie.

“Hmm, no, I don’t think it was quite that dire,” said Frank.

“Well I don’t know,” said Sadie, “but I do know that I have a curious urge to tell you how happy that I am that we’re here together.”

Sadie moved her feet to the side so that Frank could sit down, and shifting up a little so that she could drink properly.

“Then I would encourage you to follow that urge,” said Frank, “and I would absolutely concur with you love.”

_ Clink! _

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi: mariusperkins on most places


End file.
